Conventionally, the shift lock mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-28071, as shown in the drawings of that same publication (in particular, in FIG. 14 or FIG. 19), is equipped with a main body portion of an electromagnetic solenoid which can move together with a stopper plate, a plunger (movable iron core) which can move with respect to the main body portion of the electromagnetic solenoid, and a lock plate which is interlocked with a shift lever. The stopper plate and a cam member of the plunger move reciprocatingly while respectively achieving a balance with the spring force of a spring member, and the lock plate can be set in a lock position and an unlock position.
Further, a conventional key interlock mechanism is equipped with a member to be locked which can interlock with the rotation operation of an ignition key, and a lock member which operates so as to be able to be engaged with and removed from the member to be locked. With the plunger (the movable iron core) of the electromagnetic solenoid serving as a driving source, the lock member can be set in a key lock state in which the lock member makes switching of the ignition key from a key rotation operation position to a key insertion/removal possible position impossible, and a key unlock state in which the lock member makes switching of the ignition key from the key rotation operation position to the key insertion/removal possible position possible.
However, because the plunger (movable iron core) of the electromagnetic solenoid is used as the driving source of the aforementioned shift lock mechanism and key interlock mechanism, the mechanisms must be made large in accordance with the movable range of the plunger (the movable iron core), and electric power for moving the plunger (the movable iron core) is needed.
Moreover, for example, a shift lever device 60 shown in FIG. 27 is currently being developed, and this shift lever device 60 is equipped with a shift lever 62. Further, the shift lever device 60 is a so-called gate-type device. Due to the shift lever 62 being turned in the vehicle longitudinal direction or the vehicle left-right direction, the shift position (e.g., a “D” shift position, a “4” shift position, a “3” shift position, a “2” shift position, and an “L” shift position or the like) can be changed.
In particular, when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “D” shift position to the “4” shift position, the shift lever 62 must be turned toward the right of the vehicle. When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “4” shift position to the “3” shift position, the shift lever 62 must be turned toward the rear of the vehicle. When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “3” shift position to the “2” shift position, the shift lever 62 must be turned toward the left of the vehicle and toward the rear of the vehicle in that order. When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “2” shift position to the “L” shift position, the shift lever 62 must be turned toward the left of the vehicle.
Thus, the turning position, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the shift lever 62 differs between the “D” shift position and the “4” shift position, and the “3” shift position, and the “2” shift position and the “L” shift position. By detecting the turning position, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the shift lever 62, it can be detected which of the “D” shift position or the “4” shift position, and the “3” shift position, and the “2” shift position or the “L” shift position, the shift lever 62 is positioned at.
Further, the shift lever 60 is equipped with a plate 64. The plate 64 is supported further toward the rear of the vehicle than the shift lever 62 when the shift lever 62 is positioned at the “2” shift position, and is freely rotatable in a horizontal plane
A first arm portion 66 is provided integrally with the vehicle front side of the plate 64. The plate 64 is rotated due to the first arm portion 66 being pushed by the shift lever 62 toward the right of the vehicle when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “D” shift position to the “4” shift position. Further, a second arm portion 68 is provided integrally with the vehicle front side of the plate 64. The plate 64 is rotated due to the second arm portion 68 being pushed by the shift lever 62 toward the left of the vehicle when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “2” shift position to the “L” shift position.
A slider 70 is held at the vehicle rear side of the plate 64. When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “D” shift position to the “4” shift position, due to the rotation of the plate 64, the slider 70 is slid toward the left of the vehicle, whereas when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “2” shift position to the “L” shift position, due to the rotation of the plate 64, the slider 70 is slid toward the right of the vehicle.
Four thin-plate-shaped contact plates 72 are mounted to the vehicle rear side portion of the slider 70. The four contact plates 72 are aligned in the vehicle vertical direction.
A plate-shaped detecting member 74 is disposed at the vehicle rear side of the slider 70. As shown in FIG. 28, a “D” terminal 76A, a “4” terminal 76B, a “D-4” terminal 76C, a “2-L” terminal 76D, an “L” terminal 76E, and a “2” terminal 76F, which are each formed in a thin-plate shape, are provided along the vehicle left-right direction at the slider 70 side side surface of the detecting member 74. The “D” terminal 76A is provided along the vehicle left-right direction center from the vehicle right side end portion of the detecting member 74. The “4” terminal 76B is provided at the vehicle left side end portion of the detecting member 74 at the vehicle left side of the “D” terminal 76A. The “D-4” terminal 76C is provided from the vehicle right side end portion of the detecting member 74 to the vehicle left side end portion, directly beneath the “D” terminal 76A and the “4” terminal 76B. The “2-L” terminal 76D is provided from the vehicle right side end portion of the detecting member 74 to the vehicle left side end portion, directly beneath the “D-4” terminal 76C. The “L” terminal 76E is provided at the vehicle right side end portion of the detecting member 74, directly beneath the “2L” terminal 76D. The “2” terminal 76F is provided from the vehicle left-right direction center of the detecting member 74 to the vehicle left side end portion, at the vehicle left side of the “L” terminal 76E.
Here, when the shift lever 62 is positioned at the “D” shift position and the “2” shift position, each contact plate 72 contacts the “D” terminal 76A, the “D-4” terminal 76C, the “2-L” terminal 76D, and the “2” terminal 76F, respectively.
When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “D” shift position to the “4” shift position, each contact plate 72 slides toward the left of the vehicle integrally with the sliding of the slider 70 toward the left of the vehicle, and contacts the “4” terminal 76B, the “D-4” terminal 76C, the “2-L” terminal 76D, and the “2” terminal 76F, respectively. In this way, it is detected which of the “D” shift position or the “2” shift position, and the “4” shift position the shift lever 62 is positioned at.
When the shift lever 62 is changed from the “2” shift position to the “L” shift position, each contact plate 72 slides toward the right of the vehicle integrally with the sliding of the slider 70 toward the right of the vehicle, and contacts the “D” terminal 76A, the “D-4” terminal 76C, the “2-L” terminal 76D, and the “L” terminal 76E, respectively. In this way, it is detected which of the “D” shift position or the “2” shift position, and the “L” shift position the shift lever 62 is positioned at.
In this way, at the shift lever device 60, it is detected which of the “D” shift position or the “4” shift position, and the “3” shift position, and the “2” shift position or the “L” shift position, the shift lever 62 is positioned at, and it is detected which of the “D” shift position or the “2” shift position, and the “4” shift position, and the “L” shift position, the shift lever 62 is positioned at. In this way, there is a structure in which it is detected which of the “D” shift position and the “4” shift position and the “3” shift position and the “2” shift position and the “L” shift position the shift lever 62 is positioned at.
However, in the shift lever device 60, when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “D” shift position to the “4” shift position and when the shift lever 62 is changed from the “2” shift position to the “L” shift position, the plate 64 rotates in mutually opposite directions, and the slider 70 slides in mutually opposite directions. Thus, the placement size (width X in FIG. 27), in the vehicle left-right direction, of the detecting member 74 which the contact plate 72 of the slider 70 contacts must be made large, and a problem arises in that the placement space of the detecting member 74 becomes large.
Further, in the shift lever device 60, the plate 64, the slider 70 (including the contact plate 72), and the detecting member 74 are provided separately from a shift lock mechanism (not shown) and the like, and a problem arises in that the mechanism becomes large.